Inherited Traits, Environment & Mutation — Drills · Grade 7 Science
Chapter: Genes, Cell Division & HeredityWhat these drills covers
By the end of Inherited Traits, Environment & Mutation you should be able to:
- I can explain inherited traits, environment & mutation.
- I can use evidence, a model, and stated assumptions to support a biological explanation.
4 questions, multiple choice and written answer, each with a worked explanation.
Vocabulary used: mutation, inherited trait, environmental influence, acquired characteristic, transmission.
Problem 1
Which statement fits the model?
- All mutations help
- Mutations can have different effects depending on context
- Learning a skill proves an allele change
- Every body mutation enters gametes
Answer and explanation
Mutations can have different effects depending on context
Effects and transmission depend on the change and conditions.
Problem 2
Give one additional observation needed to claim a new variant was inherited.
Answer and explanation
Evidence of the genetic change in reproductive material or offspring, with a suitable comparison, is needed beyond one parent’s visible change.
Problem 3
Does a height difference prove a genetic difference?
Answer and explanation
No. Resources and other environmental conditions can also affect height.
Problem 4
Does every body-cell mutation pass to offspring?
Answer and explanation
No. Transmission depends on contribution to reproductive genetic material, not simply occurrence anywhere in a body.